Salmon Forests and IBAs : Pitt Meadows to SFU

This morning as we headed out of Pitt Meadows along the riverfront walkway and Trans Canada Trail we were surrounded by that rare kind of beauty that evades description and evades photography.  A very thick layer of frost coated the grasses, shrubs, and wooden lookouts, its long, feathery tendrils sparkling like jewels in the morning sunshine.  Contrasting with the sharp, geometric forms of the ice crystals, which crunched under our boots as we walked, was a delicate mist slipping silently across the smooth surface of the Pitt River beside us.  On the far side of the water a thicker, denser grey fog hid the bottoms of the snow capped mountains from view.

Although it was a frosty morning, the sunshine was warm, and it set the last of the fall colours aglow.  Frosty blues mixed with yellows and reds, and the mist beside us was turned to gold.  As we crunched along, flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos, American Robins, and various sparrows foraged busily and noisily in the trailside shrubs, while Glaucous-winged and Herring Gulls floated on the river below us, and a Great Blue Heron fished along its banks.  A particular highlight was when two Bald Eagles swooped in low and alighted in the treetops above us.

The section of trail we were slowly trekking along, amazed by all the beauty around us, was part of the Traboulay PoCo Trail.  This 25.3 km trail is a flat walking and cycling route that encircles the community of Port Coquitlam.  The trail was initially proposed in 1967, as a way to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday, and during the 70's it was subsequently made a reality through the hard work and dedication of the PoCo Trail Blazers.  Improvements were made throughout the 90's, and it now features a comprehensive trail map, distance markers, viewpoints, and interpretive signage describing the flora and fauna found along the way.  Although the Colony Farm section of the PoCo Trail isn't part of the TCT, it takes visitors through the Colony Farm Regional Park, which is one of the most biodiverse parts of the region, supporting over 150 species of birds.

We were lucky to follow this gorgeous trail for most of the morning. En route we would meet a number of Asian-Canadians out photographing birds and the stunning landscapes.  As a result I had to eventually pull Sean away from chatting with them about gear and method in order to continue along.

Eventually we rounded a bend and began heading away from the Pitt River, following the edge of a narrow channel towards the Deboville Slough.  The trail was lined with tall deciduous trees, and beside us a wetland and wild area of shrubs was full of bird activity. We passed the entrance to the Pitt River Boat Club, small berry farms, and what felt like the last remnants of rural farmland.

Since setting out this morning we'd been noticing a plethora of yellow arrows.  Many were spray painted onto the pavement, but we passed a Trans Canada Trail marker with a large yellow arrow, and several street signs as well.  In so many ways this journey began when we followed the little yellow arrows out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France on our first Camino in 2016.  The Camino Frances was our first long-distance thru-hike, and we had no idea if we could or would finish it, or if we would even enjoy it.  Six years later, we have now completed several Camino routes across Spain, France, and Portugal and we find ourselves again following the little yellow arrows at the end of a 13,700 km trek from Canada's East Coast to its West Coast.  It felt like we were coming full circle.

A short section of trail took us along the edge of a modern subdivision and then we ducked into the Hyde Creek Nature Reserve. The forested area was preserved to protect the natural environment, including Hyde Creek, which provides valuable spawning habitat for Chum and Coho salmon.  The salmon lay their eggs in gravel nests called 'redds' in the freshwater streambed.  When the young hatch, they swim out to sea, where they travel up to 2,400 km in the north Pacific over 2-7 years. As adults they migrate back to the same rivers where they were born.

As we made our way through the forested area, under an unimaginably tall canopy of huge cedars, firs, and deciduous trees, we could hear the sounds of loud and vigorous splashing in the stream beside us. The crystal clear, fast-flowing waters were full of spawning salmon!  They gathered in groups in the shadows, hiding beneath overhanging ferns, moss covered stumps and logs, and the deeper pools created by small meanders in the stream banks.  It felt so unusual to be accompanied by the sounds of constant splashing on a forest walk!

The shimmering forms of the salmon in the creek weren't the only distraction in the beautiful old forest.  Sunshine filtered down through the canopy, causing the carpet of huge, colourful leaves on the forest floor to glow, and the tufts of light green moss hanging from the trunks and branches to light up.  The soft sounds of Dark-eyed Juncos came from the canopy above, and we stopped to watch a Pacific Wren who was moving about in the ferns, hopping between the shafts of sunlight.

Information plaques on salmon life cycles, and the importance of protecting their spawning streams lined the trail.  The theme of celebrating salmon was also evident at the Hyde Creek Recreation Centre, where the metal utility boxes were painted with colourful fish.

Soon we passed a small salmon hatchery with additional information, which was run by volunteers from the Hyde Creek Watershed Society.  As we passed the Hyde Creek Hatchery and Education Centre the enthusiastic and happy voices of a school group who were learning about salmon rang out through the forest.  We felt so lucky to be there when the salmon were running!

A short walk through a residential area brought us to another small greenspace, then we headed back into a neighbourhood before picking up a longer section of trail through Wellington Park.  This very large forested green space contained several kinds of forest, with the first being very open.  Either a huge storm or logging in the past had removed many of the canopy trees, making way for the development of dense regenerative growth.  Large flocks of American Robins were foraging in the shrubs, seeming to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine.

The wide gravel path soon took us back into older growth cedar forest, where once again a canopy far above our heads sheltered a lush green world of moss and ferns beneath. We weren't alone on the meandering path, which was filled with other people out walking their dogs, jogging, and pushing small children in strollers.  When the path brought us alongside the Coquitlam River we also began to see anglers fishing in its clear waters.

We crossed the river on a tall, metal footbridge before weaving our way back north through the wonderfully treed park. For much of this stretch we could see the neighbourhoods that bordered the wild feeling park, but we stayed on our wonderfully forested trail.  As in previous days, we've been pleasantly surprised with how much actual trail we've walked as we've been crossing the suburbs of Vancouver.  Most of the time it doesn't feel at all like we're in one of Canada's largest cities, which we really appreciate!

The trail then brought us out to the Town Centre Park in the City of Coquitlam.  This facility was a truly enormous sports complex, featuring a track and field stadium, 3 ball diamonds, 5 synthetic turf playing fields, 8 tennis courts, 6 sand volleyball courts, a basket ball court and a whole lot more.  An inspiration garden and LaFarge Lake were also in the Town Centre Park.  The lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, and offers fishing from the pier, or a place to have a picnic and enjoy the fountain or the gorgeous mountain views.  As an urban park, it was pretty impressive!

Our meandering route next took us through the Coquitlam Campus of Douglas College, before taking us through another beautiful greenspace, and then down the sidewalk on the edge of a busy, four-lane road.  

As we walked the edge of Guildford Way we noticed a sign indicating that we were following Terry Fox's Training Route.  Most Canadians are familiar with Terry Fox's legendary run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, and the incredible legacy of fundraising the young Port Coquitlam amputee left behind.  However, fewer people are aware that he logged over 5,000 km training for his epic journey, mostly in the Tri-Cities area.  His favourite training circuit, a 16.1 km route through Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody was marked with signs to commemorate the Marathon of Hope's 35th anniversary.

Following his route we soon arrived in Port Moody, where we followed the trail through Rocky Point Park, which ran along the shores of an inlet. A set of steep wooden steps led down to the shore, where a narrow boardwalk with no railings snaked back and forth across the mud flats along the shore.  The wooden walkways were still covered in a thick layer of frost, making them feel somewhat precarious, but they were nevertheless full of people.  We stopped for a few minutes to watch the large mixed flock of ducks floating out on the water and foraging in the shallow waters along the shore.  Mallards, Northern Pintails, Buffleheads, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teals, and Barrow's Goldeneyes were among the highlights, as well as Long-billed Dowitchers. There have been 141 bird species reported in this park on eBird, and we would have loved to explore further.  However, it was getting late, and we knew we still had a long, steep climb ahead of us.

Eventually the trail brought us out to a large landscaped green space with a paved waterfront walk, stone picnic tables, a large covered gazebo, and a long wooden pier sticking out into the inlet.  The waters were still, reflecting the clear blue sky, the forested slopes on the far shore, and the snow capped mountains beyond.  Understandably, the pier and waterfront walkway were crowded with people, as was the Boathouse Restaurant, which overlooked the water.

Not only was this park incredibly beautiful, but we also spotted a sign indicating we were in the English Bay - Burrard Inlet Important Bird Area!  This IBA was designated for three species at the global level: Western Grebe, Barrows Goldeneye, and Surf Scoter, and for the Great Blue Heron at the national level.  All three of the first species historically overwintered in the inlet in large numbers, but in recent years their numbers have dramatically declined.  Over 140 species have been reported in IBA, making it a fantastic place to go birding in the Vancouver area!

After leaving the inlet behind the trail took us through part of downtown Port Moody.  This area was originally inhabited by the Musqueam, Squamish, Stö:lō, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.  In the 1800's the town was established at the end of a trail that connected New Westminster with Burrard Inlet, to help protect New Westminster from attack by the US.  The small town received little attention until it was announced that it would be the terminus of the transcontinental railroad that was a condition of British Columbia's entrance into Canadian Confederation.  The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed on November 7, 1885 when the last spike was driven in at Craigellachie, and a train arrived at Port Moody the next day.  The first passenger train arrived on July 4, 1886 and optimism about the future importance of the small town soared.  However, the following year a 19 km branch line was built out to Vancouver, causing a lot of people to lose money on their investments in Port Moody.

After making our way down a tree-lined street bordered with cafés, restaurants, art galleries, and boutique shops, we picked up a dirt footpath that traced the edge of the coast.  It was sandwiched between the CPR railway and the Pacific Coast Terminals below us, and the Barnett Highway high above us on a very steep slope.  As we made our way towards the Reed Point Marina we passed a series of signs explaining the history of the port below us, and what we were seeing in it as we walked.

One mystery that was explained was a machine that looked like an enormous conveyor belt.  Apparently it was sulphur stakrake, which was used to load the enormous piles of lemon yellow sulphur into ocean bound vessels.  The huge piles of sulphur at the Pacific Coast Terminals can be 380 m in length, and contain up to 220,000 tonnes of the mineral, and the stakrake can load the sulphur into ships at a rate of 500 to 3,000 tonnes per hour.

The Pacific Coast Terminal is the largest exporter of bulk sulphur in the world.  On average, 4 million tonnes of the mineral arrive by rail from the gas fields of Alberta each year.  It is exported overseas to China, Brazil, and South Africa, where it is used to make fertilizer, medicines, paper, steel, and textiles.

One of the more exciting signs indicted the spot where the original train station that marked the terminus of the transcontinental railway used to be.  The building was demolished in 1961, after standing for nearly 75 years.  The arrival of the first trains helped unify Canada and marked the beginning of a new era for British Columbia.  It somehow felt like an accomplishment to reach this point, because we have been following the railways that built this country for four years now, and we'd finally reached the terminus!

When we came to the marina the trail turned and began climbing up a very steep hill.  To our surprise, even at the bottom of the long forested slope, the trail was covered in snow! For the next 3.5 km we climbed up Burnaby Mountain to the Simon Fraser University Campus.  The elevation gain was just over 300 m.  Making the climb at the end of a long day, with heavy packs and less than an hour of daylight left was tough going, and the snow got deeper the higher we climbed!

As we made our way up the steep hill the snow covered ferns and cedars looked magical, and we had some gorgeous views out over Barnet Inlet and the north shore mountains.   The trail was full of students and professors jogging, walking, and fat biking both up and down the steep trail. Many of them gave us words of encouragement as they passed

By the time we reached the top of the hill we were beat.  We are staying at The Simon Hotel tonight, which is on the top floor of one of the residences, and it took us some time to figure out how to navigate through the campus, which seemed stunningly beautiful and cozy.  Covered walkways lead between the buildings, and there was a large central courtyard where students were gathered around fire pits, roasting marshmallows under the stars.  Others were playing bocce ball and a variety of other games as a break from studying.  It feels good to be surrounded by the youthful, hopeful, and creative energy of a university.

Today felt like a gift, with so many nice trails, such stunning scenery, and such positive interactions with others. Being on a campus again reminds us of where we began this journey - staying in the residences at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland.  So many adventures have taken place since then, and there are still so many more to come.

See you on the trail!

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